Self-cleaning circulation system and method
The present invention provides a system and method for providing a self-cleaning water circulation system which may be utilized for a fish pond, fountain, or the like. Means for automatically cleaning the pump intake to avoid pump failure due to leaves and debris is provided. The circulation system also comprises a self-cleaning filter for cleaning the circulated water whereby maintenance requirements are substantially reduced.
This application is a continuation-in-part and claims priority from U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/433,852, filed Dec. 16, 2002; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/640,903, filed Aug. 14, 2003; and PCT International Patent Application Serial No. PCT/US2003/037566, filed Nov. 24, 2003.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention relates generally to liquid circulation systems and, more particularly, in a preferred embodiment provides a low or no maintenance water circulation system as may be utilized in ponds, fountains, tanks, and the like.
BACKGROUND ARTWater circulation systems such as pond water circulation systems, fish tanks, waterfalls, and the like, typically utilize a pump and a filter to circulate the water. Most filters on the market today have water being pumped into a canister by an electric pump. The canister has a filtering medium therein. The water circulates through the filtering medium and back to the pond or other water body. To clean the filtering medium, it is necessary to open the canister, reach into an algae-infested medium, which may contain dirt and fish waste, remove the medium and manually clean the medium. The filtering medium must then be returned back to the canister. These chores make for an unpleasant but necessary task. Failure to keep the filter clean eventually causes the circulation system to clog, and/or the fish to die. The filter canister usually includes other components that must be cleaned such as the diffuser which directs the water to be filtered over the filter. However, prior art diffusers often are formed with a plurality of flow holes for performing this function. Over time, algae grows in the flow holes thereby decreasing their diameter until the flow holes eventually plug due to algae growth or debris. These prior art diffusers must be cleaned regularly or the circulation system will fail and the fish will die.
The system typically also includes an electric pump that is typically located within the water and regardless of placement, has an intake for water. The water intake should not become clogged or plugged with leaves, debris, or other matter or the pump can be quickly destroyed. A significant expense related to ponds is the cost of replacement pumps. When the pump quits, the replacement must occur fairly soon to keep the fish alive.
Various attempts have been made in the prior art to solve the above indicated problems and/or related problems. However, the prior art devices and methods have numerous drawbacks. Patents related to such attempts include the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,110,389, issued Aug. 29, 2000, to A. Horowitz, discloses a filtration tank for purification of polluted water which includes a chamber. Upper and lower filtration screens are supported within the chamber. Filtration particles are confined between the upper and lower screens. Polluted water enters the chamber through an inlet, passes through the screens and the filtration particles and exits the chamber through a purified water outlet. Periodically, the inlet and outlet are closed and the water in the chamber is drained through a drain outlet. Nozzles spray cleaning fluid over the filter particles and screens to dislodge trapped dirt.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,541, issued Oct. 18, 1994, to B. Wickzell, discloses a method and filter arrangement for filtering particle-contaminated liquid which is caused to spill onto the upper side of a filter. Spray pipes, equipped with nozzles, are rotatably mounted beneath the filter, and spray flushing liquid against the underside of the filter. A drainage channel, mounted above the filter surface, catches and directs some of the particle carrying liquid to the outlet. The drainage channel has an extended portion which forms a channel inlet and also functions as a splash guard.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,608,910, issued Sep. 2, 1952, to J. McCrystle, discloses a method for operating a flat screen for screening fibrous materials which consists essentially of the following steps: preparing a suspension of fibers, flowing the suspension over the screen, introducing positive jet streams of water under pressure at an angle less than seventy-five degrees to the plane of the screen onto the input side of the screen, and introducing the streams so that the entire opening areas of the screen are directly, wholly, and simultaneously subjected to the action thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,541, issued Feb. 14, 1984, to A. Lee, discloses a circular filter having separated inlet and outlet compartments such that cheese whey or the like is pumped into the vessel, is forced across a filter screen, and the filtered whey is discharged downstream for further processing. This invention incorporates two rotating showers to clean the filter and an outlet valve which recycles filtered whey for additional filtering and cleaning.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,889,048, issued Jun. 2, 1959, to O. L. Nordic, discloses a strainer adapted to collect solid material including a cleaning nozzle, a strainer screen surrounding the nozzle, a rotatable shaft having a portion thereof offset with respect to the shaft, means connecting the offset portion of the shaft to the nozzle, the shaft and the nozzle having a fluid passage therein for conducting fluid through the shaft to the nozzle for discharge from the nozzle at high pressure upon the surface of the screen.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,671, issued Nov. 12, 1996, to H. Klein, discloses a biological purification process wherein a secondary treatment of partially cleaned waste water for example, is carried out in a porous bed of loose granules which float in the liquid. The granules are continuously washed to remove coagulated impurities by means of a small quantity thereof being entrained from the top of the bed in a small volume flow of the effluent of the process, mixed with the inflowing impure liquid and then returned to the bottom of the bed. Excess reaction gas may also be delivered to the bed via the inflowing liquid and unreacted gas collected for reuse.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,463,943 B1, issued Oct. 15, 2002, to D. Monroe, discloses a swimming pool filter cleaning device including a cylindrical ring-like housing having an upper end, a lower end, an inner surface and an outer surface defining a central opening. The housing has a hollow interior. The housing is dimensioned for receiving a cylindrical pool filter within the central opening thereof. The housing has a water hose connector extending outwardly from the inner surface thereof. The water hose connector is in communication with the hollow interior. The water hose connector has an open outer end adapted for coupling with a standard water hose. A first set of spray nozzles is disposed within the upper end of the housing in a spaced relationship. The first set of spray nozzles is in communication with the hollow interior of the housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,374,360, issued Dec. 20, 1994, to R. J. Weis, discloses a method and apparatus for cleaning a filter apparatus of the type having an atmospherically vented tank, a rotatable filter frame in the tank having filter material thereon providing one or more filter effluent compartments on the filter frame. An influent line supplies liquid containing suspended solids to the tank and a filtered effluent outlet communicates with the filter effluent compartment, and a spray wash device including spray nozzles is operable during a wash cycle to direct high pressure liquid spray at a side of the filter material on the filter frame in a spray zone. An air tight hood is mounted inside the tank and extends above the upper periphery of the filter frame to an open lower end below the spray zone. The hood is vented to atmosphere during a filter time to allow liquid influent in the tank to flow into the hood and immerse the filter frame, and air is supplied to the hood during the wash cycle at a pressure sufficient to pneumatically depress the liquid in the hood to a level below the spray zone.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,945,005, issued Aug. 31, 1999, to Junius et al., discloses a filter system which includes a tank with a conveyer for, preferably continuously, conveying filter media from a filter zone in the tank where the filter media traps predetermined matter, such as particulates, to a quiet zone in the tank where the predetermined matter separates from the filter media and is allowed to accumulate and be withdrawn from the tank. The conveyer preferably includes a screw auger and a duct for containing the screw auger. The filter media is preferably buoyant when the fluid being filtered is water.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,672,281, issued Sep. 30, 1997, to Burns et al., discloses an apparatus and method for separating an effluent into a filtered liquid component and a concentrated sludge component. A screen for filtering the effluent is positioned to divide a chamber into two compartments, one for concentrating sludge and one for receiving filtered liquid. The screen is curved in an arc that extends away from the liquid outlet, and a spray arm is mounted for arcuate motion to conform to the curvature of the screen to dispense a fluid against the screen to dislodge attached sludge, to unclog the screen apertures.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,219, issued Jul. 24, 1979, to Miropolsky et al., discloses a self-cleaning filter for purifying a liquid from suspended particles which has a housing with pipes for the inlet of the liquid to be purified and for the outlet of the clarified liquid, accommodating at least one filtering partition dividing the internal space of the housing into chambers for the liquid to be purified and for the clarified liquid, and means for flushing this partition with a countercurrent of the clarified liquid. The inlet pipe for the liquid to be purified is arranged on the housing within the chamber for the clarified liquid so that its geometric axis is substantially parallel with the plane of the filtering partition and communicates with another pipe received in the chamber for the clarified liquid so that its geometric axis extends centrally of this chamber, substantially perpendicular to the plane of the filtering partition, the latter having made therein an opening the edges whereof are connected to said another pipe. The disclosed filter is characterized by reliable performance and relatively simple structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,268,095, issued Dec. 7, 1993, to Ytzhak Barzuza, discloses a self-cleaning filter including a filter housing having at least a raw-liquid inlet and a clean-liquid outlet, and a filter medium interposed between the raw-liquid inlet and the clean-liquid outlet. At least one nozzle is located in proximity to the filter medium and is connectable to at least two different sources of pressure, one of which is higher than the pressure prevailing in the filter, the other one being lower than the pressure prevailing in the filter. There is also provided an arrangement to produce a relative movement between the filter medium and the at least one nozzle to the effect of having a substantial part of the surface area of the filter medium covered by the nozzle.
The above cited prior art does not provide a suitable means for reliably and automatically removing debris for a pond filter or pump. Consequently, there has been a long felt but unsolved need to provide improved and more reliable apparatus and methods that result in continuous circulation of water with minimal or no maintenance. Those of skill in the art will greatly appreciate the present invention which addresses the above problems and other problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide an improved circulating system and method.
Another objective is to provide a low maintenance circulating system in which one or more components require little or no maintenance.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide an improved water circulation system although elements of the present invention are also suitable for use for circulating/cleaning/pumping other liquids.
These and other objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the drawings, the descriptions given herein, and the appended claims. However, it will be understood that any listed objective and/or other objectives, features, and advantages of the invention are provided only as an aid in understanding aspects of the invention, and are not intended to limit the invention in any way, and therefore do not form a comprehensive or restrictive list of objectives, and/or features, and/or advantages of the invention.
Accordingly, the present invention may comprise a water circulation system wherein the water requires filtering for cleaning purposes. The water circulation system may comprise components such as, for instance, a pump for circulating the water. The pump may comprise a pump inlet. A pump inlet self-cleaning assembly may be utilized automatically for cleaning the pump inlet. Alternatively or in addition thereto, a self-cleaning filter assembly may be provided.
In one embodiment, the self-cleaning water filter assembly may comprise one or more elements such as, for instance, a housing for mounting a filter therein. The housing may define an unfiltered water inlet for receiving unfiltered water to be filtered. The housing may also define a cleaning water input for receiving pressurized cleaning water. In one preferred embodiment, a reciprocally moving cleaning spray head is mounted above the filter. The moving cleaning head may be operable for spraying the pressurized cleaning water over a top surface of the filter during a filter cleaning cycle which is activated upon the receipt of pressurized cleaning water into the cleaning water input. In a preferred embodiment, a controllable waste outlet is provided which is controllable for opening in response to the filter cleaning cycle and is normally closed except for during the cleaning cycle. A controllable filtered water output may also be provided. The controllable filtered water output is normally open to permit filtered water flow out of the self-cleaning filter assembly. The controllable filtered water output is controllable for closing in response to the cleaning cycle. Many variations of the self cleaning filter are provided some of which do not necessarily comprise all of the above features and/or which may comprise other features.
In one embodiment, a diverter assembly is provided that may be utilized with the self-cleaning water filter system. The diverter assembly is operable for automatically controlling the controllable waste outlet and the controllable filtered water outlet in response to the cleaning cycle. While many embodiments of a diverter assembly are provided, in one embodiment the diverter assembly comprises a pivotally mounted water director, which may or may not also include the filter tray, and/or a water-activated piston. With the water-activated piston, the diverter assembly requires no electrical or pneumatic power and may be operated with a simple water hose for directing pressurized water thereto as is normally locally available.
In another embodiment of the filter assembly, at least one of the controllable waste outlet and the controllable filtered water outlet may comprise a water-activated valve.
A self-cleaning pump for a water circulation system may be utilized which comprises a pump inlet and a pump outlet. In one embodiment, an inlet cleaning fluid line is connected to the pump inlet and a pump inlet cleaning assembly attached to the inlet cleaning fluid line. The pump inlet cleaning assembly may further comprise a nozzle for directing fluid over the pump inlet and/or a piston-cylinder assembly for moving a cleaning blade adjacent the pump inlet for cleaning purposes, and/or a flexible tubing for flapping over the pump inlet as water flows therethrough to provide self-cleaning of the pump inlet.
In another embodiment a self-cleaning filter assembly is provided for use with a source of pressurized filter cleaning fluid comprising one or more elements such as, for instance, a filter and a housing with the filter mounted therein. The housing may define an unfiltered inlet for receiving unfiltered fluid to be filtered with the filter to thereby produce filtered fluid. The filter collects debris when producing the filtered fluid. One or more nozzles may be mounted within the housing. The one or more nozzles are preferably oriented to produce rotating motion of the pressurized filter cleaning fluid within with respect to the filter housing for removing the debris from the filter to thereby clean the filter, and one or more outlets in the housing. In a preferred embodiment, the nozzle(s) is fixedly mounted to the housing. The filter housing, if desired, may be round and the nozzle(s) may be angled with respect to the filter housing round wall. In one preferred embodiment, the nozzle(s) is mounted above the filter and directs the fluid downwardly to produce swirling fluid flow within the filter housing. The self-cleaning filter system may further comprise a fluid director responsive to flow of the pressurized filter cleaning fluid to direct waste water comprising the debris to a waste water outlet during the cleaning cycle. The fluid director may otherwise direct the filtered fluid to a filtered fluid outlet.
A method is provided for producing a mass of filter media comprising one or more steps such as preferably but necessarily comprising obtaining a mass of synthetic fiber. The fiber is not woven in the sense that threads are formed and then woven in a particular weave but is preferably in a mass form. Water of fluidly processing the mass of synthetic fiber by preferably spraying water on the mass of synthetic fiber while the mass of synthetic fiber is preferably in a perforated container, which could be a plate or flat surface, to produce water processed synthetic fiber whereby the synthetic fiber binds itself together thereby greatly increasing the cohesiveness of the mass of fiber, and inserting the water processed mass of fiber into a filter housing. The synthetic fiber is preferably 100% pure polyester fiber but may comprise other fibers or combinations of fibers. Prior to the water processing, the mass of synthetic fiber can be easily pulled apart in tufts by a rather light first force. After the water processing, the synthetic fiber cannot be pulled apart except by a large force such as a second force more than ten times greater than the first force. A net may used around the mass of water processed synthetic fiber to hold the mass of synthetic fiber in a desired position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGSFor a further understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements may be given the same or analogous reference numbers and wherein:
While the present invention will be described in connection with presently preferred embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to those embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents included within the spirit of the invention.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION AND PREFERRED MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a novel approach to liquid circulation systems a preferred embodiment of which may be utilized for filtering water for fish ponds, fountains, waterfalls, and the like. The present invention provides a filter that is virtually maintenance free and which may potentially operate for years without any maintenance whatsoever. The present invention provides means for maintaining pump action and other means for maintaining a pond.
Now referring to the drawings, and more particularly to
Digital water hose controller 24, of a type which can be purchased off-the-shelf, may be utilized to automatically set the timing of filter washing and the duration of the washing as discussed hereinafter. Digital water hose controller 24 has an input 26 and an output with a valve therein for controlling fluid flow therethrough to water hose inlet 28 in accord with timing settings. A manually operated valve may also be utilized whereby the hose is turned on for a few minutes or less for a thorough cleaning of filter media 18 as explained hereinafter. In a preferred embodiment, digital hose controller 24 is mounted near the faucet connection for hose 36, in the preferred embodiment, so that the hose need not have pressure thereon in between cleaning operations. However, digital hose controller 24 could also be mounted on filter system 10 as shown in
Water from the system pump 38 (see
Pivotal water director or tray 22 is pivotally mounted on pivot 40, and may be mounted at an offset from the center to provide a fulcrum action as discussed hereinafter. Pivotal water director or tray 22 preferably has water outlets 42 and 44 on each side thereof but is watertight along bottom 46 thereof. When pivotal water director or tray 22 slants toward clean water or pond outlet 32, as shown in
During normal operation, as indicated in
When water under pressure (which pressure may range over a wide range for use by city systems, well water systems, and the like) is applied to inlet 28, then water piston 14 is activated thereby tilting or pivoting water director or tray 22 toward waste water outlet 34 as shown in
Once the water pressure connected to inlet 28 is removed or bled off, such as by timer 24 turning off or manually turning the water off, then the weight of filter media 18 in offset mounted pivotal water director or tray 22, causes pivotal water director or tray 22 to pivot and easily forces piston 14 to close. Pivotal water director or tray 22 pivots or rotates about pivot 40 until the tray again slopes toward clean water outlet or pond outlet 32 as shown in
In one embodiment, a dispenser such as dispenser 21 shown in
While piston 68 and cylinder 70 are shown mounted vertically, these elements could also be mounted horizontally and may be attached to an arm or in any other mechanical linkage for operating pivotally mounted water director member 22. It should also be noted that while pivotally mounted water director is shown as an open top element, member 22 could also comprise a closed top, or be tubular, or be y-shaped, or the like, depending on the application, whereby pivotal movement may be utilized for directing water towards the desired outlet.
As indicated in
While a preferred embodiment of the invention utilizes pressurized water from a municipal water supply or from a well, the pump could also be the source for pressurized cleaning fluid. However, due to the particles in the water from the pond, slots 56 should be larger to prevent clogging. For instance, when a pump output may be directed through a smaller outlet to provide less water at higher pressure for this purpose.
Due to the wide differences in water pressures from one city or municipality to another, and for use with well water systems, a water pressure adjuster may be utilized with the present invention to regulate the pressure of the pressurized water utilized as cleaning fluid.
Filtering system 10 may be implemented in many different forms. As discussed hereinbefore,
In another embodiment, filter 18 could, for instance be positioned in a sealed housing mounted under the water. The pump would then pump water through the filter and water director or tray 22 would normally direct the water back to the pond. However, when spray head 12, which might be mounted above or below filter 18 in this case and may be entirely under the water, the cleaning fluid would wash filter 18 and then be directed to a waste outlet utilizing water director member 22. Water piston 14 may be utilized to provide valving, diverter action, and the like to direct cleaning fluid and waste to a desired location during washing and then back into the pond after the cleaning cycle is over for normal filtering.
In another embodiment,
In
For example,
If desired, the filtered water from the first filter 10 may be utilized to wash the remaining filters. A valve may be utilized to turn on one of the other filters to provide clean water for washing the first filter. It is desirable to utilize clean water for washing to avoid plugging spray head 12.
While self-cleaning filter 10 and the various embodiments thereof has been described in some detail hereinbefore, the present invention also comprises a self-cleaning pump intake system 110 for self-cleaning of pump intake 112 as shown, for instance, in
However, when weighted piston 118 is utilized with pump intake 112, during normal operation when the pump produces normal water pressure, weighted piston 118 is pushed upwardly thereby aligning opening 120 in the upper portion of piston 118 with outlet 122 that leads to the filter. In this case, all fluid flow is directed to the filter as discussed above. However, if pump intake 112 becomes partially clogged and pump pressure is decreased, then the pump pressure is no longer strong enough to force piston 118 upwards and the piston moves downwardly as indicated in
In
It will be seen that numerous different mechanisms are shown which can be utilized for cleaning input 112 of pump 38 in accord with the present invention. The cleaning methods may utilize pump flow and/or hose pressure.
In summary of operation a preferred embodiment of filter system 10, water director or tray 22 is weighted/fulcrum mounted so that filter water director or tray 22 inclines toward filtered water outlet 32 to the pond for normal filtering. Thus, the pump pumps pond water through diffuser 16 which spreads the fluid over filter media 18 for filtering and subsequent drainage of the filtered water through outlet 32. Upon application of hose pressure to start a filter washing cycle, water piston 14 is activated by water pressure to rotate or tilt filter water director or tray 22 towards waste water outlet 34. A partition beneath pivot point 40 prevents fluid flow between outlet 32 and 34, so that by tilting filter water director or tray 22 water from the hose to wash the filter goes out waste outlet 34. The hose water pressure not only activates piston 14 to tilt filter water director or tray 22 but also goes into flow head 12 which oscillates and cleans filter media 18 and, if desired, also cleans diffuser 16. The washing cycle stops when the hose pressure is turned off, such as by timer 24. The offset weight of water director or tray 22 on pivot member 40 causes tray 22 to automatically rotate back to the normal filtering position whereby water director or water tray 22 is inclined toward pond outlet 32. The rotation of water director or water tray 22 pushes water piston 14 back to its initial position. Filter medium 18 may be mounted directly on tiltable water tray 22 or may be mounted above water tray 22 in a fixed position. Spray head 12 is mounted above filter medium 18.
While a water filtration system is discussed, other uses may be provided for the present invention. For instance, in cleaning shrimp or fish operations, the diverter of the present invention may be utilized. The fluid operated diverter and/or filter of present invention may also be utilized for cleaning filters or other elements in the oilfield, such as where electrical lines are undesirable.
Pressurized cleaning fluid is also applied to one or more cleaning nozzles 226. Cleaning nozzle 226 is preferably pointed downward and radially. A top view of swirling self-cleaning filter housing 204, filter 208, and nozzle 226 is shown in
Swirling water filter system 200 shown in
While the present invention may be used with many different types of filters, a preferred filter as discussed hereinbefore is pillow batting. However, in order to use pillow batting in accord with the present invention, the pillow batting is preferably processed as taught hereinafter before use in the filter. A preferred type of pillow batting of filling may be purchased under the name Poly-fil® which is 100% pure polyester fiber. This type of pillow batting has a pre-spun cotton, pre-woven texture, or cotton candy texture. It may be pressed (not woven) into sheets but is preferably uncompressed. Raw cotton is ginned (impurities removed) and pressed in bales (of 170 kg each) for supply to mills where it is fed into the blow room and is blown into loose form. The loose cotton is passed through a roller to form cotton layers or laps. The laps are taken through carding/combing process where short fibers are removed and cotton is converted into a loose fibrous rope (called sliver). The cotton is spun and may be used to form threads. The thread can be woven using many different types weaves, where the threads, which may called warp and shute filaments, intersect by crossing under and over each other. There are hundreds or thousands of different types of weaves examples may include twill, plain, Dutch weave, twill weave, heddle, and the like. The present invention preferably relates to a pre-woven or unwoven mass of batting or filling fibers, preferably 100% pure polyester fiber. The mass of batting or filling fibers may be compressed into sheets like felt but in one presently preferred embodiment is in loose, fluffy form which is easily pulled apart.
Batting or filling of this type, as is well known to those who make pillows, is easily pulled apart and tufts of the material are easily pulled out of it, just as puffs of cotton are easily pulled apart. Therefore, use of unprocessed batting material as filter material is not advisable because the filter material will literally tear apart and come out of the filter housing in tufts into the pond with a relatively gentle pull of water flowing thereon. After processing the mass of filter material, it is tightly bound together in what appear to be yarn like fibers bound together in cohesive and somewhat more dense form and generally may not be pulled apart by hand by a strong man. This effect is sometimes seen when washing a pillow filled with pillow batting whereby the pillow batting clumps together. In this case, the pillow is normally thrown out. Applicant discovered that a mass of 100% pure polyester fiber, after the disclosed water treatment, surprisingly makes a perfect filter material, whereby the material clumps or becomes cohesive so as not to come apart. During initial testing of a mass of 100% pure polyester batting fiber in a filter, the material came apart in tufts into the pond. By accident, a mass of 100% pure polyester fiber was left out in the rain on a rock whereby it then clumped together as a result of the rain. The clumped material was tightly bound together after the rain and was inserted into the filter and found to make ideal filter material. Typically filter material wears out and has to be replaced after a year. The filter material of the present invention appears to last indefinitely and may be repeatedly cleaned in accord with the methods and apparatus taught herein. While the preferred embodiment utilizes 100% pure polyester fiber, the invention is not limited to this embodiment but also may comprise cotton and/or combinations of natural and/or synthetic masses of fiber. Moreover, while the preferred embodiment utilizes water processing as described above to effect a clumped mass of fiber, the invention also comprises utilizing any fluid that is suitable to produce this effect.
A preferred pillow batting processing system 300 is shown in
The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is therefore illustrative and explanatory of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention and variations thereof, and it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that various changes in the design, manufacture, layout, organization, order of operation, means of operation, equipment structures and location, methodology, the use of mechanical equivalents, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction or combinations of features of the various elements may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. As well, the drawings are intended to describe the concepts of the invention so that the presently preferred embodiments of the invention will be plainly disclosed to one of skill in the art but are not intended to be manufacturing level drawings or renditions of final products and may include simplified conceptual views. Thus, various changes and alternatives may be utilized that remain within the spirit of the invention. Because many varying and different embodiments may be made within the scope of the inventive concept(s) herein taught, and because many modifications may be made in the embodiment herein detailed in accordance with the descriptive requirements of the law, it is to be understood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative of a presently preferred embodiment and not in a limiting sense.
Claims
1. A self-cleaning filter assembly for filtering circulated liquid, said self-cleaning filter assembly being connectable with a source of pressurized liquid, comprising:
- a filter for filtering unfiltered liquid to produce filtered liquid, said filter collecting waste when filtering said liquid;
- a filter cleaning member for directing said pressurized liquid onto said filter for cleaning said filter to produce waste fluid, said waste fluid comprising said waste collected when filtering said liquid; and
- a pivotally mounted liquid director member, said pivotally mounted liquid director member being pivotal to a first pivotal position for selectively directing said waste fluid towards a waste liquid outlet, said pivotally mounted liquid director member being pivotal to a second pivotal position for selectively directing said filtered liquid to a filtered liquid outlet.
2. The self-cleaning filter system of claim 1, further comprising a piston and a cylinder connected to said pivotally mounted liquid director member, said piston and said cylinder being in liquid communication with said pressurized cleaning liquid inlet and responsive to said pressurized cleaning liquid for relative movement between said piston and said cylinder to thereby pivot said pivotally mounted liquid director member to direct waste liquid towards said waste liquid outlet during said cleaning cycle.
3. The self cleaning filter system of claim 1, further comprising:
- a housing with said filter mounted therein, said housing defining an unfiltered inlet for receiving said liquid to be filtered, and
- a pressurized liquid input for receiving said pressurized liquid for cleaning said filter.
4. The self-cleaning filter system of claim 1, wherein said filter is mounted on said pivotally mounted liquid director member.
5. The self-cleaning filter system of claim 1, wherein said filter cleaning member comprises one or more nozzles mounted within a filter housing and angled with respect to said filter housing to thereby direct said pressurized fluid to produce a swirling flow of fluid within said filter housing during a cleaning cycle for cleaning said filter.
6. A self-cleaning filter assembly for use with a controllable source of pressurized fluid, comprising:
- a filter for filtering fluid to produce filtered fluid, said filter collecting debris while filtering said fluid;
- a piston and a cylinder moveable between a first position and a second position, said piston and said cylinder being in fluid communication with said controllable pressurized fluid and responsive to said controllable pressurized fluid for relative movement of said piston and said cylinder between said first position and said second position, said piston and cylinder being operatively mounted for directing said filtered fluid to a filtered fluid outlet in said first position, said piston and cylinder being operatively mounted for directing a waste fluid comprising said debris towards a waste fluid outlet in said second position.
7. The self-cleaning filter assembly of claim 6, further comprising a gravity bias for biasing said piston to one of said first position or said second position.
8. A self-cleaning filter assembly for use with a source of pressurized filter cleaning fluid, comprising:
- a filter;
- a housing with said filter mounted therein, said housing defining an unfiltered inlet for receiving unfiltered fluid to be filtered with said filter to thereby produce filtered fluid, said filter collecting debris when producing said filtered fluid;
- one or more nozzles mounted within a filter housing, said one or more nozzles being oriented to produce rotating motion of said pressurized filter cleaning fluid within said filter housing for removing said debris from said filter to thereby clean said filter; and
- one or more outlets in said housing.
9. The self-cleaning filter assembly of claim 8, wherein said one or more nozzles are fixedly mounted.
10. The self-cleaning filter assembly of claim 8, wherein said filter housing is round and said one or more nozzles are angled with respect to said filter housing.
11. The self-cleaning filter system of claim 8, wherein said nozzles are mounted above said filter and direct said fluid downwardly to produce swirling fluid flow within said filter housing.
12. The self-cleaning filter system of claim of claim 8, further comprising a fluid director responsive to flow of said pressurized filter cleaning fluid to direct waste water comprising said debris to a waste water outlet during said cleaning cycle, said fluid director otherwise directing said filtered fluid to a filtered fluid outlet.
13. A method for producing filter media comprising:
- obtaining a pre-fluid processed mass of fiber;
- fluid processing said pre-fluid processed mass of fiber by spraying fluid thereon to produce a fluid processed mass of fiber wherein said fluid processed mass of fiber binds itself together so as to have significantly increased cohesiveness as compared to said pre-fluid processed mass of fiber; and
- utilizing said fluid processed mass of fiber in a filter housing for filtering fluid.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein said pre-fluid processed mass of fiber comprises batting material.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein said pre-fluid processed mass of fiber is 100% pure polyester fiber.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein tufts of said pre-fluid processed mass of fiber can be easily pulled apart in tufts by a first force before said fluid processing; and
- such that said fluid processed mass of fiber cannot be pulled apart except by a second force more than ten times greater than said first force after said fluid processing to thereby form a cohesive filter media.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein said fiber is synthetic.
18. The method of claim 13, further comprising holding said pre-fluid processed mass of fiber together while spraying fluid thereon.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising placing said pre-fluid processed mass of fiber in a container prior to said spraying fluid on said pre-fluid processed mass of fiber.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing that said container is perforated such that fluid drains from said container.
21. The method of claim 13, wherein said pre-fluid processed mass of fiber comprises unwoven fibers.
22. The method of claim 13, wherein said fluid processed mass of fiber binds itself together to form clumps.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 16, 2005
Publication Date: Oct 20, 2005
Inventor: Ronald Anderson (Kemah, TX)
Application Number: 11/154,500